Humanitext Reader

Marcus Aurelius · Meditations §1.11.1

Lessons from Fronto on Tyranny and Patrician Coldness

Passage 11 of 486 · Greek

Summary

The author records learning from Fronto about the envy and hypocrisy of tyrants, as well as the lack of natural affection typical of Roman patricians.

§1.11.1Παρὰ Φρόντωνος τὸ ἐπιστῆσαι οἵα ἡ τυραννικὴ βασκανία καὶ ποικιλία καὶ ὑπόκρισις, καὶ ὅτι ὡς ἐπίπαν οἱ καλούμενοι οὗτοι παρ’ ἡμῖν εὐπατρίδαι ἀστοργότεροί πως εἰσί.
From Fronto, to note what kind of envy, duplicity, and hypocrisy characterize a tyrant, and that, on the whole, those who are called "patricians" among us are somehow rather lacking in natural affection.

Notes

  1. 1.11.1τὸ ἐπιστῆσαι — The articular active aorist infinitive of ἐφίστημι, meaning 'to direct one's attention to' or 'to realize'. It governs two syntactically different parallel objects connected by καὶ: the indirect question clause beginning with οἵα and the noun clause introduced by ὅτι.
  2. 1.11.1εὐπατρίδαι — A Greek term originally denoting the traditional Athenian nobility (eupatrids), used here to translate the Latin 'patricii' (patricians). The preceding phrase παρ’ ἡμῖν (among us) confirms that the author is referring internally to Roman high society.
  3. 1.11.1ἀστοργότεροι — The comparative form of the adjective ἄστοργος, which means 'lacking in natural or familial affection' (storge). Rather than comparing the patricians to another group, it is used as an absolute comparative, meaning 'somewhat lacking in affection' or 'rather cold-hearted'.

Cite this passage

Marcus Aurelius, Meditations §1.11.1. Humanitext Reader, https://reader.humanitext.ai/en/text/urn:cts:greekLit:tlg0562.tlg001.humanitext-grc2:1.11.1

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